For those of you who have baked cakes in actual terra cotta pots, how do you plug up the hole in the bottom before you pour the batter in?
line the bottom with a piece of aluminum foil or parchment paper
I've heard that some terra cotta pots are OK to bake in and others are not. Do you have any idea how to tell?
Since I have done this more than a dozen times, I would say it is ok to bake in a terra cotta pot. BUT, you need to buy a NEW one, sterilize it by washing/scrubbing it with soap dish and water, put it in the oven for 2 hours at 200 degrees.. let it cool, them VOILA ! it is safe... BUT, you need to line the whole inside with foil tightly before you pour your cake. Don't forget to spray with cake release from Wilton. Marthat Stewart did this once on her TV show. 
Thanks guys!!
I bought a new pot and will let you know how it goes. 
I'm not sure what other people have done but I'm using the pot only to give the cake its shape (instead of carving and sculpting it), then when I unmold it from the pot I'll cover it in fondant to mimic the pot.
You also need to make sure it's a pot meant for outdoor use - they're fired for longer and at a higher temperature which means they can withstand greater temperatures - indoor pots would break in an oven.
Yep, unglazed and outdoor.. I baked it last night and now have a pot-shaped cake ready for me to go at it!
Thanks for all your help guys!!
can't wait to see how it comes out!! Be sure to post a photo and let us know how it worked!
You can either serve while it's in the pot by using a
brand new plastic soil scooper, the kind you use in gardening
or remove it from the pot and decorate it..I chose to serve it this way.
Martha Stewart did it this way when she made
"dirt" cake.
I used to have a clay bread pan and I had to soak it in water for about 20 min. take it out and dry it off and then put my shortening in as my release. I suppose this would work with these clay terra cotta pots as well wouldn't it? after I did the conditioning thing? and also how long would you bake it for and at what temperature? also how many cups of batter? I have a flower pot that I want to make and do not want to have to carve so I would appreciate any answers you can give me as quickly as possible. Thank you very much. It is the 6th of may and I need this cake by the 8th so I can decorate and finish it.
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